THE BORNEO POST
(FRIDAY, 23/3/2007) P. 11
DEDICAJ ION: E! icndi second left) and Mokthar affixing the honorary colonel title onto Dr Abdul Rashid, while Razali looks on at left.
Unimas-vice chancellor made honorary colonel
SAMARAHAN: Vice-chancellor of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
(Unimas) Prof Datuk Dr Abdul Rashid Abdullah was yesterday conferred the rank of honorary colonel by the Royal Malaysian Armed Forces.
He was awarded the honorary title for his commitment and dedication to develop the Reserve Unit in Unimas.
The conferment was conducted by General Officer of Commander of Malaysian Ist Infantry Division Datuk Muhamad Effendi Mustafa at the Academic Information Service Centre Auditorium of Unimas new campus here.
Effendi said the conferment would help make Abdul Rashid the role
model for Unimas officers, staff, lecturers and students who join the Reserve Unit (Askar Wataniah).
"With the conferment, it is hoped that more people (staff, officers, lecturers and students) from Unimas would voluntarily join the Reserve
Unit, " Effendi said.
He was glad to note that there were now about 307 Reserve Unit volunteers from Unimas since its inception in 2000.
According to him, the armed forces was continuously monitoring the development and activities of the Reserve Units at all public institutions of higher learning (IPTA), to ensure that they fulfil the government's aspiration to create a generation of intellectual and
patriotic young Malaysians.
The armed forces, he added, also wanted to ensure that the Reserve Units in all IPTAs abide by the stipulated guidelines to equip them with the skills and knowledge found among permanent officers.
Meanwhile, Dr Abdul Rashid said he would work with commitment and dedication to ensure that the Reserve Unit in the university would be of high calibre and knowledgeable.
Also present were Commander of Malaysian 3rd Infantry Brigade Kern Penrissen, Brigadier General Datuk Razali and Commander of the Armed Forces Doctrine Training Kern Imphal, Kuala Lumpur Major General Datuk Mokthar Perman.